Re: Can I return a reference to a string I just created?
Hi,
ugnonimous@gmail.com wrote:
I'm new to C++ and having trouble with the finer points of
references. Say I do this:
string& myFunc()
{
string myString("some data");
....
return myString;
}
When does the string I created get deleted? Is it the same as this:
string& myFunc2()
{
return string("some other data");
}
In both versions you are returning references to locals/temporaries,
which will no longer be valid at the call site. A good compiler will
warn you about that (try raising the warning level). Here are some valid
alternatives:
string myFunc() // copy, not reference
{
string myString("some data");
....
return myString;
}
// Or, the somewhat more efficient:
void myFunc(string& myString)
{
myString = "some data";
....
}
Hope that helps,
-Al.
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